Knitting machine



Oct. 27, 1953 A. sHoRTLAND 2,656,691

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 195o v 4 sheets-snee; 1

Oct. 27, 1953 A. sHoRTLAND 2,656,691 KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 7, 1950 Oct. 27, 1953 A. SHORTLAND KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1950 4 sheets-sheet rF/GBA.

Oct. 27, 1953 A. sHoRTLAND 2,656,691

KNITTINC MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 KNITTIN G MACHINE Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assigner to Mellor Bromley & Company Limited, Leicester, England Application December 7, 1950, Serial No. 199,628 In Great Britain December 8, 1949 Claims.

This invention concerns knitting machines and is particularly concerned with "Cottons patent and other straight knitting machines. A specific object of the invention is the provision of improved mechanism in a straight bar knitting inachine wherein slack loops may be produced over a variable width or widths of the fabric in successive courses. Specifically the invention is concerned with mechanism for slaclrening the loops in two spliced or plated areas of the fabric that are -simultaneously knitted, such for example as the high heel splicings or the foot splicings in a full fashioned stocking blank.

The invention provides in a knitting machine having a member movable to and fro by cam means, the combination with said cam means of a pair of cam followers spaced apart circumferfentially of the cam means and displaceable by the latter to move the said member, and means for varying the circumferential spacing between the said followers. Thus for example if the cam means has a lobe which engages the two followers one after another and, having engaged one follower disengages from it before engagingthe other follower variation in spacing results in variationin the time interval elapsing between displacements of the two followers. lf the lobe is arranged to engage the second follower before it disengages from the first then the variation in spacing results in variation of the period in time during which both followers are displaced.. If there are two lobes, one for each follower, the variation in the spacing between the followers results in variation in the time interval elapsing between displacement of one follower by one lobe and displacement of the other follower by the other lobe.

The invention also provides in a straight bar knitting machine having a needle bar with a line of needles, sinkers for measuring yarn kinks around the needles one after another and sinkerprojecting means for projecting the sinlzers one after another to measure the kinks and operating alternately from opposite ends of the line, mechanism for displacing the needle bar during a variable part of each operation of the sinker-projecting means and for causing the kinks measured on a variable number of the needles to be of different sizes from those measured on the remaining needles, which mechanism comprises rotatable cam means, a pair of followers spaced apart circumferentially of the cam means and displaceable by the latter, connections between the followers and the needle ba: to displace the latter, and means for varying the circumferential spacing between the followers. It will be appreciated from the foregoing that this construction permits the loop length of a variable width of each of successive courses to differ from the loop length in the remaining part or parts of each of these courses. The third of the three alternative arrangements discussed in the preceding paragraph is preferred for this purpose.

Preferably, the machine has means for adjusting both followers, simultaneously and to equal extents, towards and away from one another.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the mechanism which will now be described, as an example of the application of the invention to the loop regulation for splicing on a Cottons Patent knitting machine, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing sucient the machine to permit the latter to be identined and showing the mechanism provided by this invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of relevant parts of the machine and mechanism;

Figure 3A is the left half, and Figure 3B is the right half of a sectional elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Figure 4 is a view (mainly in section) of parts of the mechanism.

Referring primarily to Fig. l, the Cottons patent machine therein illustrated is to be idenfied by the needles I, needle bar 2, main camshaft 3, frame members 4, 5, knocking-over bar 6, sinker bed l, sinker cap 8, sinkers 9, jacks 5I, slur-cock 52, catch bar 53, carriers l0, carrier rods Il including splicing carrier rods ils, lls, splicing carrier stops Iza, |2b, stop screw i3, needlebar operating mechanism (including roch-shaft I4 and levers I5 for the up and down motions, and truck lever I6, rock shaft Il and hand lever I3 for the to-and-fro or pressing motions). These parts, in various forms, are conventional in Cottons patent knitting machines and are well understood in the art, although it may be mentioned that stop i2a determines the limit of travel of rod lis to the right (Fig. 2) and stop [2b determines the limit of travel of rod l Is to the left, the travel of these rods in the reverse directions to taire the carriers out to the selvedges being limited by the usual selvedge stops.

As is also well known Cottons patent knitting machines organised for the production of fashioned stocking blanks and the like and having one or more splicing or plating carriers capable of movement over a part or parts of the width of the fabric under production (e. g. two parts extending inwards from the selvedges) are commonly equipped with a quality shaft I9 which when splicing taking place is rocked during a part or parts of each draw to ensure that the needles i during one or more parts of the draw are located closer to the sinher bed l than during the remaining part or parts of the draw so that the loops which are sunk and measured during the first said part or parts are longer than those sunl'; or measured during the remaining part or parts, this increased loop length being required to accommodate the splicing or plating thread. As shown in Fig. l, this quality shaft i9 acts on the truck lever i6 to control the movement thereof to or from the axis of cam shaft 3. Its operation is governed by a control rod 2i) actuated by a patterning device indicated at 2|, such rod and device being of a conventional type.

According to the present invention the quality shaft |9 is connected to a trucl: lever 22 which is equipped with two spaced trucks 23a, 23h which constitute the cam followers aforesaid and are operable by cam means on the main cam shaft 3. This cam means is constituted by a cam 24 having two lobes 2da, Elib (or two cams each having one lobe) which lobers are not only spaced apart circumferentially of the cam shaft 3 but are also spaced apart in the axial direction. The trucks 23a, 23h are given a similar ofi-set and so the a1'- rangement is such that one lobe engages one truck and rocks the truck lever 22 away from the cam shaft 3 for a predetermined period (thus advancing the needle bar 2 towards the sinker bed T) and then passes out of engagement with that truck, and at a slightly later stage the other lobe engages the other truck` and rocks the truck level` 22 a second time.

The truck lever 22 is pivoted at 25 at its bottom end for oscillation about an axis parallel with that of the cam shaft 3 and carries two arcuate guides 26a, 2Gb, desirably of dovetailed or T-shaped formation in section. These guides are disposed side by side and their centre points are disposed on a line which is coincident `with or close to the axis of the main cam shaft 3. The respective guides 26a, 2Gb carry follower-supports constituted by slidable shoes 21a, 2lb; one shoe 2in. carries truck 23a and the other Shoe 2lb carries the other truck 2317 so that by adjusting the shoes 21a, 2lb along their guides 26a, 25h, the circumferential spacing between the trucks 23a, 23D, may be varied. Desirably matters are so arranged that the maximum circumferential spacing is in the order of 60 and the travel is such that the trucks may move past one another until their positions are reversed and the spacing between them is again 60. This is a favourable arrangement for use in a Cottons patent knitting machine in conjunction with a circumferential length of 50 for each of the 2 cam lobes 24a, 24o, and a spacing of 82 between the end of one lobe and the beginning of the next. It permits the interval between successive operations of the truck lever 22 (and the number of the needles on which normal length loops are measured depends on this interval) to be varied between 142 and 22 of main camshaft rotation.

In order that the shoes 21a, 2lb, may be moved along their guides 26a, 26h, each shoe is formed with a quadrant of teeth (28a, 28h respectively) and the truck lever 22 carries two worms 29a, 29h which are disposed lengthwise of it with their axes parallel, the worms mesh ing with the respective quadrants. The two worms 29a, 29h, are geared together by gears 30a, 30o, and one of them (e. g. 29a) is provided with driving means by which it is rotated. Conveniently this driving means consists of a flexible driving shaft 3| by which the worm is connected to the splicing stop Screw I 3. Thus, as the splicing stops |2a, |2b are adjusted to decrease or increase the area of unspliced fabric which lies between two spliced areas at the selvedges, the shoes 21a, 27h are shifted on the truck lever 22 and the two trucks 23a, 23o are adjusted towards and away from one another to effect a corresponding increase or decrease in the period (in the middle of each draw) during which the needle bar 2 is held away from the sinker head 'I so that the long loops are conned to the spliced areas.

Desirably, suitable guide means is provided for the top end of the truck lever 22 in order to eliminate lateral play. In Fig. 3B, this guide means is shown as a slotted block |32 on fixed rod `32, in the slot 33 of which block a tongue 34 on the Atruck lever 22 works. It is further desirable that each truck shall be adjustable on its shoe towards and away from the cam shaft. For example each truck may be mounted on its Shoe by means of a lever-like cradle, which is pivotably adjustable by screw means. Since the truck adjustment mechanism is the same for each truck, that for truck 23h is shown by way of example in Fig. 3B. It consists of a truckcradle 35h, pivoted at 36h to the lever 22 and adjustable about its pivot by a screw 31h bearing on an abutment 38h (on lever 22) and provided with a lock nut 39h. A clamping screw 5012 is provided for clamping the cradle in its adjusted position.

In order to economise Space the cam 24 is split, in a plane normal to the axis of the cam shaft, into two parts |24a, |24b, provided with the respective lobes 24a, 241) and a connecting rod 40 which connects the truck lever 22 to a lever 4| on the quality shaft I2 extends through the gap 42 between these two lobes.

It will usually be necessary to provide mechanism by which the cam means 24 and the truck lever 22 are rendered inoperative, at the desired times, to rock the quality shaft I9. This may be attained by disconnecting the truck lever Vfrom the quality shaft. In one mechanism the connecting rod 40 is formed in two parts 40', 4U, one (40') of which terminates in a plunger 43 slidable in a sleeve 44 on the other part 4U". This sleeve 44 is provided with two diametrically opposed L-shaped slots 45, each slot 45 having an arm 45 which extends in the axial direction and an arm 45" that extends in the circumferential direction. The plunger 43 is provided with two diametrically opposed pins 46, and so by relative rotation between the plunger 43 and the sleeve 44 the pins 46 may be brought from a position in which they are located in the circumferential slots' and in which the connecting rod 4) transmits movement from the truck lever 22 to the quality shaft I9, to a position in which they are disposed in the axial slots 45'. In this latter position the pins 46 are free to move up and down axial slots 45' so that the `connecting rod 40 is rendered ineffective. The relative rotation may be produced by means of a iinger or arm 41 on one of these two parts 40', 40, and suitable control .mechanism such for example as a control chain or timing disc.

In the illustrated construction the arm 41 is provided on sleeve 44 which is rotatable in relation to the remainder of part 49 and in relation to plunger 43.

The lever 22 is pulled towards the main cani shaft 3 by a spring 41 (Fig. l) this movement being limited by a stop screw 48.

In the foregoing example, cam means 24 having two lobes 24a, 24h is employed because this arrangement best meets the requirements of sole splicing in the manufacture of the foot part of the blank of a fully fashioned stocking. In particular` it permits the slack loops to be measured over the required number of needles at each selvedge, and the number ofV needles in which normal loops are measured to be reduced to the required extent.

Although the invention has been specifically described in relation to slackening for splicing or plating, in a straight bar knitting machine, it will readily be appreciated that the utility of the invention is not restricted in this respect and that it is applicable to many `purposes wherein it is desired to vary the dwell, in one position, of a cam-operated member, or to vary the timing of the movements of that member into or out of 'one position, and is applicable to all types of `knitting machines.

What I claim is:

1. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles and cam means with circumferentially adjustable cam followers displaceable by the cam means to adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, oppositely rotatable flexibly connected worm screw drive means for automatically effecting the circumferential adjustment of said followers in opposite directions to suit the desired variation in said number of loops.

2. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles and cam means with circumferentially adjustable cam followers displaceable by the cam means to adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, thread carrier stop adjusting worm screw means rotatably adjustable in opposite directions for varying the traverse of thread carrier means to correspond with the desired variation of said number of loops, further worm screw means connected to the cam followers for effecting the circumferential adjustment thereof, and a flexible drive connection between the two worm screw means for transmitting the opposite rotational adjustment of the first worm screw means to the second worm screw means for said circumferential adjustment to suit the desired variation in said number of loops.

3. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles and cam means with a pair of circumferentially adjustable and axially spaced cam followers displaceable by the cam means to adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, worm screw means rotatably adjustable in opposite directions corresponding to the desired variation of said number of loops, further worm screw means connected to the cam followers for effecting the circumferential adjustment thereof, a flexible drive connection between the two worm screw means for transmitting the opposite rotational adjustment of the first worm screw means t0 suit the desired variation of the number of loops, said second worm screw means comprising a pair of worm screws, whereof one is connected to said flexible drive connection and to one of the cam followers and the other is connected to the other cam follower, and a driving connection between these two worm screws.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles and cam means with a pair of circumferentially adjustable and axially spaced cam vfollowers displaceable by the cam means to adjust said needles towards and away from. sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, worm screw means rotatably adjustable in opposite directions corresponding to the desired Variation in said number of loops, further lead screw means connected to the cam followers for effecting the circumferential adjustment thereof, a flexible drive connection between the two worm screw means for transmitting the opposite rotational adjustment of the rst worm screw means to the second worm screw means for said circumferential adjustment to suit the desired variation in said number of loops, said second worm screw means comprising a pair of worm screws which are of the same hand and whereof one is connected to said flexible drive connection and to one of the cam followers and the other is connected to the other cam follower, and a rotation reversing drive connection between these two worm screws so that the circumferential adjustment of the cam followers is in opposite directions.

5. A straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles; a bank of sinkers; thread carrier means; thread carrier stop means; Worm screw stop adjusting means; holding means for the needles; means for adjusting the holding means to adjust the needles towards and away from the sinkers comprising dual lobe cam means on a cam shaft, a cam follower for each lobe of the cam means disposed for adjustment circumferentially of the cam means, a pivoted truck arm carrying the followers, and means connecting the truck arm to the holding means; and means for circumferentially adjusting the cam followers comprising worm screw means connected to the cam followers and a flexible drive connection to this worm screw means from the worm screw stop adjusting means.

6. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles and cam means with circumferentially adjustable cam followers displaceable by the cam means to adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, oppositely rotatable flexibly connected worm screw drive means for automatically effecting the circumferential adjustment of said followers in opposite directions to suit the desired variation in said number of loops and means for automatically rendering the displacement of the cam followers operative and inoperative at desired times.

'7. In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles, a bank of sinkers, holding means for the needles, rotatable cam means, circumferentially adjustable cam followers displaceable by the cam means, connecting means between the cam followers and the holding means for adjustment of the needles towards and away from the sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, oppositely rotatable fiexibly connected worm screw drive means for automatically effecting the circumferential adjustment of said followers in oppositewdirections tosut .the desired variations in the number of loops, andmeans forautomatically rendering the Ydisplacement of .the cam followers operative fand inoperative at ydesired times comprising means for making said connecting means effective land ineffective from -pattern control means.

`8. In a straight bar knitting Amachine having a :bank of needles and cam means with ciroum ferentially adjustable cam .followers displaceable bythe cam .means to adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for vadjusting lthe size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, oppositely rotatable flexibly connected worm screw `drive means for automatically effecting the circumferential adjustment of said followers in opposite directions to suit the desired Variation in said number -of loops and said cam means and cam followers comprising two sets of -cooperating -cam lobes and followers spaced axially from each other.

9. ,In a straight bar knitting machine having a bank -of needles and ycam means with circumferentially adjustable cam followers displaceable bythe cam means to :adjust said needles towards and away from sinkers for adjusting the size of loops in a varying number of loops formed by the machine, oppositel-y rotatable exibly connected worm screw -drive means for automatically .effecting the circumferential adjustment of said followers in opposite kdirections to suit the desired Variation in said number of loops, and adjustment means for adjusting the relation of the cam followers spaced axially from each other.

10. A straight bar knitting machine having a bank of needles, a bank of sinkers, holding means for the needles, thread carrier means, thread carrier stop means, worm screw stop adjusting means, rotatable cam means, cam follower means carried for relative displacement circumferentially of the cam means by a pivoted truck arm, connecting means connecting the cam followers to the holding means, means for automatically rendering the connecting means operative and inoperative when desired, means for adjusting the cam followers in relation to the cam means, arcuate racks carrying the cam followers, worm screw means for operating the rack to adjust the cam followers circumferentially, and flexible drive connecting means between the worm screw stop adjusting means and the worm screw rack operating means for adjusting the cam followers .according to the adjustment of the stops.

ARTHUR SHORTLAND.

Name Date Nebel July 15, 1930 Number Bitzer Aug. 2, 1938` 

